Hornets end Nuggets' 15-game win streak

Denver derailed by lowly New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS -- It was over, garbage time, time for the no-names to check-in -- when one realized the no-names were already in.

The rebuilding Hornets, without their two-top players, ended the Nuggets' 15-game win steak abruptly and abrasively, 110-86 on Monday, with guys such as Brian Thomas and Darius Miller having huge nights.

Denver was disheartening. By halftime, Denver trailed 59-38 - the 21-point halftime deficit was the Nuggets' largest of the season.

"There wasn't a fundamental that we did better than they did," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "When you shoot poorly, and turn it over, it creates tempo for any team. In the first half, we shot poorly and turned it over an obnoxious amount of times (10). So we didn't have any pace. And they had a lot of pace."Folks are learning as much about Ty Lawson's importance when he's not playing than when he is. After a scorching couple months, the point guard missed his third consecutive game with a heel bruise. In the previous two, Denver barely beat two lottery teams. And then the first half in New Orleans was atrociously abysmal (abysmally atrocious?). Fill-in starting point guard Andre Miller was minus-28, seldom getting Denver into a Denver-y rhythm.It's been six days since Lawson injured the heel at Oklahoma City. Karl said Monday that it looked "tender." Lawson will get treatment and go through a light workout in San Antonio today, as he aims for the big matchup against the Spurs on Wednesday.

Sure, the streak was going end at some point.

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But like this? The Hornets (25-46), already one of the worst teams in the Western Conference, were without Eric Gordon (16.3 points per game) and Greivis Vasquez (14.1 points and 9.3 assists). But Roberts tallied 18, yes 18 assists, a high for any NBA rookie this season, while scoring 13 points, while Miller made four 3s.

"Our game plan was to try to trap the ball, and their point guard found the open man, making smart passes," Miller said. "We respected all their players, but they were aggressive."Denver's Danilo Gallinari did score a game-high 24 points, but Denver had little rhythm, playing tentatively for much of the game.

Coach George Karl decided to shake things up at the half, which is unlike the veteran coach who thrives off his rotations. In the second half, he decided to start Wilson Chandler at the power forward ahead of Kenneth Faried, who was minus-14 in the first half.

Chandler, back from his shoulder separation, finished with 11, but was 3-for-10.

And so, the streak is over. Denver had tied its franchise record with the 15 wins, and looked to cement history here in New Orleans.

New coordinator pushes Buffs to work, play at level he expectsJim Leavitt has discovered this much about his new defense at Colorado: He has some talent with which to work, but his players need to put it in another gear. Full Story

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